Starting in November of 2016 the Embassy of Liechtenstein has been participating in the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP). The EAP is a partnership between DC Public Schools, Washington Performing Arts, embassies and other global entities. Its mission is to expose school children to international perspectives and cross-cultural lessons.
The Embassy of Liechtenstein was paired with a 5th grade class at Eaton Elementary. In November the school was visited by representatives of the embassy including Laurette Jaeger, wife of Ambassador Kurt Jaeger. For the first session the students learned about general facts about Liechtenstein, such as its location, history, its form of government and its economy. They watched a short video about many aspects of Liechtenstein which can be viewed here.
The second visit in early December included a short lesson to learn Liechtenstein's official language, German. Kids were taught simple phrases in both "Hochdeutsch," or proper German, and Liechtenstein's unique dialect which is spoken by locals. The students also learned about important celebrations in Liechtenstein including "Fasnacht," similar to Mardi Gras in the US, Liechtenstein's National Day on August 15, and the Alpabfahrt in which cows are paraded down from Alpine pastures with prized cows wearing elaborate head-dresses.
As the visit was on December 6, students also learned about St. Nicholas Day, which is celebrated in Liechtenstein. On that day children are visited by Santa Claus and given treats. As a surprise the students were given a traditional gift back including gingerbread, chocolates, nuts and a tangerine.